RACERMATE ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This one is an NES game cartridge, but it's not really a game. Therefore some collectors don't count it as part of the NES cartridge catalog, and others do. RacerMate Challenge II was part of the CompuTrainer Pro which, at the time, was a pretty cutting-edge indoor training system that turned your bicycle into a stationary bike and simulated different courses and conditions. Think of it as a prehistoric Peloton.
The CompuTrainer system came with a modified NES console that had its lockout chip disabled, and there are a lot of variants of this thing. The very first systems featured the RacerMate Challenge II game in a Tengen-style cartridge, had a silver sticker with red writing on the door of an NES-001 console describing the lockout chip modification, and a sticker on the bottom of the console with a hand-written serial number. These versions of the game cartridge and the NES deck are extremely rare.
RacerMate Challenge II
Tengen-style cartridge (front)
RacerMate Challenge II
Tengen-style cartridge (back)
Serial Number Sticker
NES-001 Door Sticker
Before long RacerMate starting using their own original cartridge design which, among many other labels on the cart, featured a unique serial number sticker for each game. The door and serial number stickers on the NES-001 console went away, and the deck was simply marked with a round color sticker that matched a sticker on the game cartridge. Later releases used the NES-101 top-loader console which didn't have a lockout chip. The fact that there are two console options is refenced on a sticker on the RacerMate II OEM cartridge, and also in the CompuTrainer owner's manual (see below). Some copies of the cartridge have been found with the stickers put on upside down, but these were pretty obviously assembled by hand and I personally don't think that really counts as an official variant. The CompuTrainer Pro was also sold in PAL countries, so it's logical to assume that there are PAL versions of the game cart, but I haven't actually seen one. If you really want to drill into it there are also a few versions of the RacerMate ROM software that can vary between cartridges.
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RacerMate Challenge II
OEM cartridge front
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RacerMate Challenge II
OEM cartridge back
CompuTrainer NES-001 console
with disabled lockout chip
excerpt from CompuTrainer Pro owner's manual referencing both NES consoles models
According to the owner's manual, a complete CompuTrainer Pro system includes 19 things:
1) RacerMate Challenge II cartridge, 2) NES console, 3) NES power supply, 4) NES RF Adapter, 5) Interface Module that plugs into both NES controller ports, 6) Right-angle 1/8in TRS Cable that connects the Interface Module to the PRO Handlebar Control, 7) PRO Handlebar Control interface, 8) Handlebar Bracket to mount the Pro Handlebar Control to the bike, 9) PRO Trainer Stand for the bike's rear tire, 10) PRO Load Generator (attached to the Pro Trainer Stand, driven by rear bike tire), 11) SpinScan Cadence (RPM) Sensor with Magnet that connects to the Pro Handlebar Control, 12) Ear Clip Heartrate Monitor that connects to the PRO Handlebar Control, 13) Power Supply, 14) 8-pin DIN Cable that connects the PRO Load Generator to the Power Supply, 15) VHS Instructional Video, 16) 1-page NES Operation Instructions, 17) CompuTrainer Pro Operating Manual, 18) CompuTrainer Workout Manual, 19) 6mm Allen Wrench.